Video Games: Consumer Law

Yasmin Qureshi Excerpts

Monday 3rd November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Ben Goldsborough]

When we look at consumer law, we have to take into account the vast progress that has been made in some sectors. It would be helpful if the Minister was able to look into that issue in the future.

[Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South and Walkden) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend is making a great speech. On amending the law, what is required is a simple amendment to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, to ensure that when a game requires online support, developers must allow the purchaser to continue receiving that support.

[Ben Goldsborough]

That is another really practical implementation that could go ahead, and I thank my hon. Friend for suggesting it.

If a game is likely to go offline, gamers should be told, and where possible, offline modes should be provided. When closures are unavoidable, there should be clear notice periods and, where appropriate, refunds. Where a game has no commercial future, studios should be encouraged or supported to preserve assets for cultural history.

Some companies are already showing leadership in this regard. Ubisoft offered refunds when “The Crew” was shut down and Valve released the “Team Fortress 2” source code to help to ensure its long-term preservation, so responsible practice is possible. What we need now is a collaborative code of practice developed jointly by industry, consumer groups, preservation experts and Government—not heavy-handed law, but clear expectations. We must also recognise that independent developers cannot realistically archive every unsuccessful project.

--- Later in debate ---

[Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD)]

It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Mr Mundell.

There have been a number of instances in this place where I have had to come out: first as LGBT, then as Parliament’s biggest Swiftie, and today as a gamer. I have been playing computer games since I was a little kid. I remember waking up every morning before going to school to plug in the internet to download the latest bits for “The Sims”. It has been a staple of my life. As the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) highlighted, there are myriad reasons why people game—whether to switch off, unwind or make friends. It is a never-ending world of wonder for people who get into gaming, and I count myself as one of them.

The issue is what happens when a developer goes bust, shuts down or is gobbled up in a merger? In those instances, it is not clear who bears the responsibility of hosting or running servers for online gaming. Most of the games I play are not online, but I understand from those who play them that we already see servers going offline or timing out.

We only have to look at the recent gaming industry landscape: Electronic Arts has been bought up by a conglomerate, which includes Saudi Arabia and others, in a £55 billion deal. The acquisition will take it off the stock market and into private equity. We have also seen measures taken to replace developers with artificial intelligence. That puts a question mark on how long term and sustainable gaming on such platforms will be for consumers.

What I would like to see—and I am sure many Members across the House will also invite the Minister to do this—is clearer, more tangible responsibility from Government and protections for consumers.

[Yasmin Qureshi]

It is simply a matter of justice that if someone has paid for a product, either physical or digital, they should be able to use it for as long as they like. The fact that a company goes bust should not make any difference to that.

[Tom Gordon]

I completely agree. There has been a change in the way that people have been gaming—a silent, creeping approach over the years. When I started playing games, most of them were on CDs, which are now a thing of the past—we do not see those anymore, do we? There is a particular divergence between PC gaming, where it is easier to host servers remotely or privately, and consoles, where that is a little harder. I do not necessarily expect the Government to get into the weeds of that, but setting out some clear principles that gamers can expect would be a welcome first step.

I thank the constituents who got in touch with me to raise this important matter and everyone who signed the petition, and I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say.

5G Masts: Greater Manchester

Yasmin Qureshi Excerpts

Wednesday 13th March 2024 Westminster Hall

[Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham West and Royton (Jim McMahon) for arranging this debate on a huge issue that is impacting so many of our constituents in Greater Manchester. He has already made important points about the technicality of the law on this issue, and how changes to permitted developments have caused chaos on the streets of Bolton and across our borough.

I have been raising my concerns about poorly sited, low-quality masts and wooden poles placed across Bolton since 2019. They are tall, ugly monstrosities, blighting our landscape and causing much distress to my constituents. It has become a case of whack-a-mole, with the masts, boxes and poles popping up everywhere; we get one re-sited, and another appears in a different area. We have had them placed on private land, on dangerous road bends and right up against residents’ walls, making access for essential pointing impossible.

All that causes huge distress and a sense of powerlessness for our local residents. Indeed, in my Saturday drop-in advice surgery last week I had a constituent come and talk about a recent installation placed so near his side wall that, if there was a problem with his wall, he would have to break down the whole wall to repair it. The companies do not give any warning that works are going to commence in the area. There is no consultation done with anyone. The first people see of it is these stupid, horrendous things outside their homes.

The main point I want to emphasise to the Minister is the economic value of allowing all those companies to dig up our roads and pavements without any oversight. I have written letters and asked the Minister several times whether the Government track the commercial viability of the companies that they have allowed to place infrastructure on private land. The reply is always, “No.” The Government are not even collecting data on whether the policy of permitted development is driving the growth it was meant to, whether any of the companies sticking up those ugly things are commercially viable, or whether they are using technology that is viable even in the short term. Many argue that the appearance of these things suggests that they are not exactly at the cutting edge of industry innovation.

In Bolton, for our part, we do not need or want these installations. Bolton is well served by broadband providers, and we already have ample coverage in our area. We do not need the masts. I do not think the public of Bolton will forgive those who have allowed companies free rein to blight our landscape for no economic benefit, other than someone somewhere making a quick buck. I urge the Minister to revisit this, and, if there are going to be any such placements, to ensure that there is a proper consultation, with permission to be given before they are installed.